


Matter Of Time

by OcyDarling



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Bad Cooking, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Nicky is trying and he wants to impress Joe!, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:21:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25563523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OcyDarling/pseuds/OcyDarling
Summary: Nicky has been struggling to cook a pesto for joe, but with some help from nile, things work out finally
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 3
Kudos: 114





	Matter Of Time

**Author's Note:**

> So I had such a great response on my last fic that I got an idea for this one from my lovely friends in the group chat! I love you guys!
> 
> If you're interested in maybe sending me prompts, you can on my tumblr! 
> 
> https://richletozier.tumblr.com/

He'll never forget the times he tried to surprise Joe by cooking dinner. Every single time it ended in an absolute disaster and Joe laughing at him. All he wanted to do was cook him a meal that came from Nicky's home country. Joe always made something from where he grew up and he just didn't think it was right for him to be the only one. He wanted Joe to experience something that was apart of him and every time it never worked outright. It irritated him deeply that he couldn't accomplish such a simple task. Something he watched his mother do over and over and over again. Instead of being able to do it correctly several wild things happened to him.

The food always managed to get burned, every single time. It didn't matter what it was he always managed to make it into charcoal and every time Joe found him defeated over the food, he laughed but comforted him. He always did offer to help Nicky finish or redo the dinner, but Nicky's pride wouldn't let him accept it. This was something of himself and he should be able to do it without anyone's help. Even if that help was from Joe.

One of the later times was Andy walked into their hideout right as the sauce he was cooking bubbled up just enough to splatter in his face. (It was his fault, he was leaning over the pot a little too close.) It hurt like hell, but the embarrassment hurt worse as Andy stopped, stared, and shook her head. A little smile played on his face as he walked away from him, not offering any help. That was the final time Nicky tried to cook anything. He just had to accept that cooking was a talent he was never ever going to learn and it doesn't matter how many times he watched someone cook on Booker's laptop.

With the events that recently happened, Booker's betrayal, almost becoming lab rats, Andy's mortality….., Nicky decided he was going to get this done. Just in case one of them didn't make it another day. God forbid that happen, but it had been in the back of his mind. He just wanted to do this one thing for Joe and this time he was going to get it done right!

As much as he hated going into town without Joe, he had to do it so he could be sneaky about this. Whenever he found out what Nicky was up to, he'd always offer to help. Say 'It'll be nice for us to cook together." And it always was nice when they cooked together, but this was much different. He wished he wasn't so bullheaded about this. The journey to the market was going to be solo even if he didn't like it. He didn't like it so much that it took him nearly a week to talk himself into doing this.

Pesto was easy. He saw that it was sold in stores now, but he wanted to make it as his mother made it. It tasted like Home even if Home has been gone for a very long time.

Returning, he was happy that it seemed the house was empty so he could be undisturbed, but in his gut, he didn't like the idea of Joe not being there. What if something had happened and here he was cooking food when he could be in danger. Nicky pushed that invasive though in the back of his mind and got started. The two bags he carried with him was placed on the small counter and were quickly emptied. Their contents were spread around the cramped kitchen and Nicky trying to remember where everything exactly was.

He was taking his time with each step. He was being cautious about this because he was worried. His self-confidence was pretty low on this. Now if this was sword fighting or hand to hand it would be in his field of things he could do with his eyes closed, but this was the greatest challenge of them all.

Nile had come in just in time. She heard cursing coming from the kitchen, Italian, must have been Nicky. When she stopped in the doorway of the kitchen he was standing in front of the stove with his hands in his hair, looking stressed. Was he….was he cooking? That was unheard of from Nicky. Joe would always push him out of the way and volunteer instead. "Uh, you okay there?" She took cautious steps into the kitchen, watching him closely just in case his reaction wasn't going to be a good one.

He was so angry and lost in his own failure he hadn't even heard Nile come back home. The hands in his hair slowly dropped down to his sides and the anger was replaced with exhaustion. "No. I can't cook. I just wanted to cook something for Joe." He started reaching for the stove's knobs to start switching them off when Nile's hand reached first, stopping him. "Hey, Let me help okay. It's been a while since I've helped in a kitchen, but just let me." When Nicky first met Nile, she was closed up, scared. Just like they all had been at first, but getting to know them all and becoming family, she warmed up and started spending time with them all. She was a great addition to the team. She brought a new kind of life to all of them.

"Please." He even shocked himself when he said that. It was the first time that he took help. He knew if he didn't there was no way he would even try to attempt this again. He had to do this for Joe. She leaned in to see what was in the pot. "Pesto? Oh, I've made this before. We got this." She looked up at him and smiled. Everything was going to be alright.

And it was and Nicky could cry when everything came out perfectly. She helped him finish up and let him plate everything on his own. It was right on time too. The front door opened up and closed softly. From being with him so long, Nicky knew when Joe came and went. "Thank you, Nile. I don't think I can repay you for this." His nerves have long calmed down during their cooking session. He finally felt like he could accomplish this and was more than excited to see what Joe thought about it.

"Did someone start dinner already?" Joe was probably thinking that couldn't have been right. The people who did know how to cook wasn't about to do anything that smelled like that. That was Nile's queue to leave the kitchen, but she bumped into Joe right as she was leaving. "Oh! Hey there right on time!" Nicky looked up from the plates of food and stood up straight. Okay, it was finally the moment that he had been preparing all this time for. Joe looked over at Nicky and then down at the plates. The nerves had returned, butterflies in his stomach.

Nile smiled and slipped out, heading to her room happy with her good deed of the day. Joe's attention never left the plates as he slowly entered into the kitchen. "Did you make this?" Joe had to recognize it from all of the failed attempts he saw Nicky do over the many many years. He nodded but decided to vocally respond as well. "Nile helped. I, uh, wanted to make something from home to share with you." And when he said home, he meant home.

"Oh, Nicolo." He moved in closer finally looking up to Nicky. Whenever he heard his actual name come from Joe, it sent a shiver through him. It was rarely used in these times so it was almost something intimate between the two. "This is what you've been trying to do this whole time?" He nodded, looking up to Joe slightly. He felt like if he exhaled, the moment would burst and he'd lose it. The smile on Joe's face grew even more and he moved closure to surprise him with a kiss.

It took him off guard, but Nicky was going to take full advantage of any kiss he could get. Joe's hands were on his waist, pulling him in closer. It wasn't in a means to deepen the kiss, but just to feel a bit of Nicky on him. The kiss didn't last long, but once they broke it off, their foreheads rested against each other. "You haven't even ate it. What if it's no good?"

"Anything you make for me is good. I don't care what it is, Nicolo." He pulled away to make eye contact just to reassure him. "But what if it's-" Nicky was interrupted but Joe, "it'll be good. It smells good." Now it was Nicky's turn to take Joe off guard with a kiss. Hearing such sweet things just reminded him how much he truly loved this man. His hands were cupping Joe's face in an attempt to keep the kiss from ending, but Joe did pull away. "As much as I enjoy your kiss, I do want to eat this dinner you've made."

A pout was on Nicky's face when the kiss was ended, but he did have a point. Nicky and Nile worked hard to make this for Joe and he wanted the other man to appreciate his cooking that came from home. Joe couldn't help but give him one last peck on the lips before pulling away from him to take a seat at the table. Nicky followed soon after, a sweet, bashful smile on his face. Joe was happy, but he normally was with anything Nicky did for him. This was important though.

Nicky wasn't about to eat the food until he knew Joe at least liked it. He sat in his chair straight up and watching him intently. He had to like it. If he didn't then Nicky may never want to leave bed again as anxiety overtook him. His hands were in his lap, fingers gripping at the material of his pants. "Oh wow. This is amazing, Nicky." He felt like he blacked out even though he was watching him. The relief washed over him and he was happy. Very happy. He didn't know what to say other to smile and it was a wide one.

Joe liked the cooking and was happy. He could feel the happiness surging inside of him. "Thank you. I wish Nile was here earlier. It's been a long time coming." He really did wish Nile was born back when they were still young. It would have prevented a ton of stress for Nicky. "No, this was perfect. Thank you for sharing this. You have to cook this more often. I'm sure Andy and Nile would love to try this. It's delicious."

And that's when he got up from his chair and went around the table to Joe. "No, you're amazing, Yusuf." He leaned down to kiss him, even if the man was in mid-chew. "Nicky! I'm eating!" Was the only thing he was able to say before he was interrupted with the pair of lips on his own. Who knew enjoying his cooking would get this kind of reaction out of Nicky, but Joe was going to make sure it was going to happen more.

"Eat before it gets cold or you'll just waste your hard work." Joe's hand was resting against Nicky's chest, foreheads against each other. "But seeing you happy is good enough for me."


End file.
